“You promised Vanessa a family, Ethan! You can’t just… reject your own daughter because of a silly superstition!” I exclaimed, struggling to maintain composure. The nurses were trying to give us space, offering sympathetic glances, but the tension in the room was palpable.
Then came the shocking detail that changed the entire story… (Continue to Part 4 →)
Chapter 3: The Hidden Inheritance
Ethan finally met my gaze, his eyes filled with a desperate plea. “It’s not superstition, Claire! It’s… it’s about protecting Vanessa, protecting our family. Silas… he lost everything. His wife, his farm… his mind.” He paused, then lowered his voice.
“There’s more, Claire. There’s a trust fund. Silas left a trust fund, but it’s conditional. It states that if a Bennett child is born with the mark… the entire inheritance goes to the Bellmere Historical Society. It’s a substantial amount of money, Claire. Enough to secure our future, to start a college fund for Noah.”
